Calling Clinicians to Volunteer as Medics in the Make-A-Wish® San Diego Trailblaze Challenge: A 28-Mile Hike to Grant Wishes to Children
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Take Medicine Outdoors: Join Us to Grant Wishes to Children with Critical Illnesses
At Elite365 Family of Brands, patient care has always been at the heart of everything we do. Across every brand, every placement, and every clinician we support, there is one shared purpose: improving lives through compassionate, high-quality care. Some moments remind us that healthcare is more than a profession – it’s a calling.
That’s why we are proud to partner with Make-A-Wish® San Diego, an organization dedicated to bringing hope, strength, and joy to children facing critical illnesses.
Where Compassion Meets Impact
For children battling life-threatening conditions, the world can quickly become a place filled with hospital rooms, treatments, and uncertainty. Make-A-Wish San Diego exists to change that narrative. Make-A-Wish® San Diego creates life-changing experiences – whether it’s meeting a hero, traveling somewhere magical, or simply having a moment where a child gets to feel like a kid again.
At Elite365, we understand that pediatric care goes beyond clinical treatment. It’s about seeing their need for joy in the midst of hardship. That’s exactly where our mission aligns with Make-A-Wish®. Our partnership with Make-A-Wish® San Diego reflects our belief that pediatric care isn’t limited to hospitals or clinics.
The Trailblaze Challenge: Care Beyond the Bedside
One of the most powerful ways to support this mission is through the Trailblaze Challenge – an event that challenges hikers to trek 28 miles in one day! It starts with 12+ weeks of training in San Diego County’s trails that prepares hikers of all fitness levels for the big hike – one is hosted on May 1-3, 2026 and another on May 15-17, 2026. It’s more than a hike and a fundraiser. The Trailblaze Challenge, presented by Wheelhouse Credit Union, is a life-changing endurance program full of adventure, fun, and fitness that allows Make-A-Wish® San Diego to grant wishes for local children with critical illnesses. Examples of wishes might be a trip to Disneyland, the chance to meet celebrity or superhero, taking a trip to Hawaii, and many other exciting wishes.
Each hiker commits to fundraising a minimum of $2,500 toward wishes for wish kids in San Diego and Imperial Counties. There are 300 hikers signed up for 2026. While all hiking posts are full for this event, Make-A-Wish® San Diego is in need of medics.
Trailblaze Impact in Numbers
- The first Trailblaze Challenge included 70 hikers and raised $260,000 for wishes.
- 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the event! MAW San Diego has nearly 300 hikers committed for this year’s hike with a goal of raising $1,000,000.
- The Trailblaze Challenge has raised more than $6 million dollars cumulatively to support local wish kids!
What We Need From You: Volunteer as a Medic
LOCATION: Big Bear Lake, CA
ROLE: Volunteer medics. All hiking spots are full for this event. Make-A-Wish® San Diego is in need of medics.
WHO WE NEED: Physicians, Nurses, EMTs, Wilderness First Responders, and/or medical students can act as medics.
DATES: Hike #1: May 1-3 | Hike #2: May 15-17
We’re fully booked for hikers; seeking medics only. Medics can participate in both hikes if they choose to.
THE ROLE OF A MEDIC: Medics will be placed at aid stations along the trail. There are numerous bay stations with medical supplies where medics can assist hikers with hiking-related issues or injuries such as leg cramps, foot pain, blisters, dehydration, etc. Make-A-Wish® staff will contact San Diego EMTs for serious conditions.
PERKS: We will cover your hotel stay with meals at The Lodge at Big Bear.
CONTACT: Colleen Edwards
(818) 914-9257 | cedwards@sandiego.wish.org
Why Medical Professionals Should Get Involved
Behind the scenes of this inspiring event, there’s a critical need that speaks directly to medical professionals. This is where Elite365 Family of Brands clinicians have a unique opportunity to step in as champions of hope. Volunteering at the Trailblaze Challenge allows you to use your skills in a completely different, yet deeply meaningful way. Here’s why it matters:
1. Extend Your Impact Beyond Traditional Care
In your day-to-day role, you heal and support patients one-on-one. At this event, your presence helps power an entire movement – ensuring safety while enabling an experience that funds life-changing wishes.
2. Help Create Joy for Children Who Need It Most
Every mile hiked, every dollar raised, and every volunteer involved contributes to a child experiencing something extraordinary during an incredibly difficult time.
3. Reconnect with the “Why” Behind Healthcare
Burnout is real in healthcare. Opportunities like this remind us why we chose this path – to care, to comfort, and to make a difference when it matters most.
If you’ve ever felt called to do more, to give more, and to be part of something that truly changes lives, join Elite365 in supporting the Trailblaze Challenge. By stepping into this volunteer opportunity, you’re helping ensure that more children get the chance to smile, to dream, and to believe in something bigger than their illness.
Want to join Make-A-Wish®? If you’re interested in supporting Make-A-Wish but can’t attend Trailblaze Challenge San Diego, please click here to find your local chapter: Local Chapter Finder
Interested in the 2027 event? Be the first to know about next year’s Trailblaze Challenge! Sign up here: 2027 Trailblaze Challenge – San Diego, CA We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors. Click here to view sponsorship opportunities. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for the 2026 Trailblaze Challenge, please contact Colleen Edwards at cedwards@sandiego.wish.org or (818) 914-9257.
Want to become a sponsor? We are grateful for the generous support of our sponsors. Click here to view sponsorship opportunities or call (818) 914-9257.
Photos from the 2025 Hike
Thank you to our COO, Carolina Araya, for her active support of Make-A-Wish® San Diego Chapter
Connect with Make-A-Wish®
To learn more about Make-A-Wish® and how you can make a child’s wish come true, click here.
